Bette Davis Digital Scrapbook – Early Clippings

Following is a scrapbook of digital clippings highlighting the beginning of Bette Davis's career. From the stage in Rochester to Broadway and on to Hollywood, headlines, excerpts and advertisements provide an overview of her career until the time of her first major breakthrough in Of Human Bondage in 1934.

Bette Davis isn't named in the ad above for Cukor-Kondolf company's performance of Cradle Snatchers (and yes, George Cukor is the Cukor in question), but she is listed among cast members in the snippet from the accompanying article found below. Both items, above and below, were found on page 90 of the Rochester Evening Journal and the Post Express, October 23, 1928

Bette Davis is the last actor mentioned in this brief promotional article for Ibsen's The Wild Duck at the Boulevard Theater in Jackson Heights. Discovered in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 5, 1929, page A16.

Broken Dishes comes to Brooklyn. Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 22, 1929. The same page also included a photo of 21-year-old Bette Davis:

Months later the Eagle would include this illustration of Davis in promotion of Broken Dishes, now at the Masque Theater. Artist unattributed, from page 2E of the March 23, 1930 edition of the Eagle.

The Moorhead Daily News published this small photo of Bette Davis to announce she would be appearing in Richard Bennett's production of The Solid South. October 31, 1930, page 6.

But even better than a photo was Bette's inclusion in this cartoon by Helen Worden. Found in the San Antonio Express, November 2, 1930, page 49. It's mentioned in the original caption above, but in case that is illegible Bette Davis is the figure at the left.

A movie career is brewing for Bette Davis according this this snippet from the Syracuse Herald, November 19, 1930, page 10.

Film Daily made mention of Universal signing Davis a couple of weeks later in their December 24, 1930 edition. Page 4.

An ad for Bette Davis' movie debut, The Bad Sister, does not mention Davis but does include a small image of her to the left of a larger likeness of star Sidney Fox. Co-star Humphrey Bogart completely escapes mention. This ad clipped from the Cumberland Evening Times, May 25, 1931, page 10.

But after appearing in supporting roles in Seed and Waterloo Bridge Universal loaned Davis out a couple of times before deciding not to renew her contract. George Arliss provided a huge helping hand in selecting Davis to play opposite him in The Man Who Played God (1932) at his home studio, Warner Brothers. The film released in February 1932, a couple of months after the clipping that follows:

New Year's Eve 1931 edition, Film Daily, Warner Brothers announces that they've signed Bette Davis to a long term contract.

At Warner Brothers Davis played support to top actresses Barbara Stanwyck in So Big (1932) and Ruth Chatterton in The Rich Are Always With Us (1932) before becoming Warren William's leading lady in The Dark Horse later that year. Ad discovered in the Appleton Post Crescent, June 18, 1932, page 5.

Bette Davis couldn't compete with Ann Dvorak in another Warren William title from 1932, Three on a Match. Ad from the Daily Capital News and Post Tribune, November 13, 1932, page 6.

Charleston Gazette headline, November 20, 1932, page 16.

Bette Davis with Spencer Tracy in an ad for 20,000 Years in Sing Sing. From the Logansport Pharos Tribune, April 1, 1933, page 3.

Newspaper ad teases Ex-Lady and really puts the emphasis on Bette Davis over her three male co-stars, named in much smaller type. Found in the Cumberland Times, May 7, 1933, page 7.

And her home town seems pretty proud of her by this point! The Lowell Sun, June 24, 1933, page 13.

Several entertaining titles followed for Bette Davis at Warner Brothers: Bureau of Missing Persons with Pat O'Brien to close 1933 and then The Big Shakedown with Charles Farrell, Fashions of 1934 with William Powell, Jimmy the Gent with Cagney and, best of all, starring in Fog Over Frisco, before she was loaned out to RKO to co-star with Leslie Howard in her biggest breakthrough to date:

Of Human Bondage ad found in the Uniontown Morning Herald, August 8, 1934, page 9.

Free Updates by Email

Just enter your email address and click the button underneath:

Enter your email address ...

Mailing schedule: Irregular at the moment, though still keeping in touch!

Q: I subscribed and haven't heard a peep from you? Where are my emails? A: Did you confirm your subscription? After pressing the above subscribe button you will receive an email with a confirmation link that you must click.

Share:

About Cliff

I write about old movies and movie stars from the 1920s to the 1950s. I also sell movie cards, still photos and other ephemera. Immortal Ephemera connects the stories with the collectibles. Read More…

Praise for Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue

James L. Neibaur of Examiner.com calls it: "One of the most interesting and important film books of the young year," adding, "the documentation is original and significant." Full review.

Jacqueline T. Lynch, author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer.Star., says: "A prime example of a classic film fan taking the reins to produce a scholarly study of a neglected figure from the Golden Age of classic films in a way that I feel is refreshing, infinitely helpful to fans and students of old movies." Full review.

Silver Screenings says: "A fascinating account of an ambitious and hard-working woman ... Aliperti’s book is well written and incredibly well researched." Full review.

Speakeasy says: "Despite her decline, this is not a sad or bleak book but an enjoyable history ... Any fan of the collectible Citadel “Films of” book series will appreciate the modern twist on that format, a full biography followed by an expanded filmography." Full review.

A Classic Movie Blog says: "I think this is a good format for performers with short lives and brief careers ... I went into it with only mild curiosity about Twelvetrees and now I find my self pining for copies of unavailable, but intriguing films." Full review.